Housing for a control device



July 12, 1966 c. w. MILES 3,260,131

HOUSING FOR A CONTROL DEVICE Filed Oct. 25, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR: CHESTER w. MILES July 12, 1966 c. w. MILES HOUSING FOR A CONTROL DEVICE 3 Sheets-Shem 2 Filed Oct. 23, 1963 INVENTOR:

CHESTER w. MILES y 1966 c. w. MILES 3,260,131

HOUSING FOR A CONTROL DEViCE Filed Oct. 23, 1963 3 Sheets-Shem 5 FIG. 7

FIG. 8

CHESTER W. MILES I NVEN TOR.

BY W

&

FIG 6 United States Patent 3,260,131 HOUSING FOR A CONTROL DEVICE Chester W. Miles, 25989 Dover, Redford, Mich. Filed Oct. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 318,368 2 Claims. (Cl. 74-608) This invention relates to the construction of devices used to control the position of bus and train doors. The driver of these vehicles will usually have such a controller positioned within the reach of his hand so that the doors can be opened and shut for the entrance and exit of passengers. The door-positioning mechanism is normally airoperated, and the control units are conventionally either multi-passag valves, or actuate small switches controlling solenoid valves adjacent the doors. Often, the controllers are combinations of both systems.

One common type of controller utilizes a rotary cam having cam contours on a face normal to the axis of rotation. These contours induce axial displacement of biased plungers which either actuate switches, or serve as valve members. The present invention provides a body structure for housing such a unit, and facilitates the maintenance and adjustment by rendering the cam and plunger portions separately removable to expose the interior mechanism. It becomes unnecessary to dismount more of the device than the particular portion to be serviced.

The several features of the invention will be analyzed in further detail through a discussion of the particular embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a controller embodying this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top view of the controller shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional elevation showing a portion of the interior mechanism.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional elevation on a plane perpendicular to that of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the active face of the controlling cam.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional elevation on the plane 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of the air side of the plunger portion of the controller.

FIGURE 8 shows an alternate form of lower cover.

The controller generally indicated at 10 includes a lower body member 11, an upper :body member 12, and a mounting bracket generally indicated at 13. This bracket has a normally vertical flange portion 14 adapted to be secured to a convenient portion of the vehicle structure, and also has a normally horizontal portion 15 interposed between th upper and lower body members. The controller has a conventional handle 16 with an interrupted flange 17 at its hub which cooperates with the retention bolt 18. The cut-out 19 in the flange 17 will register with the periphery of the head of the bolt 18 in a particular position of the handle, and the handle may then be removed. The handle structure as well as the interior mechanism of the device forms no part of this invention.

The interior mechanism of the controller includes a valve side best shown in FIGURE 4. The plungers 20 and 21 are provided with balls as shown at 22 and 23 which engage the cam contours 24 of the cam member 25. This cam member has a hub 26 functioning as a journal, and an upper extension 27 for coupling with the tubular hub 28 of the handle 16. The cross-pin 29 engages the endopening slot 30 in the hub 28 for transfer of torque from the handle 16 to the cam member 25. A locking screw 31 securing the handle against axial disengagement may be used, if desired, when the selective locking action of the bolt 18 is not needed.

The plungers 20 and 21 are biased upwardly by the presence of air pressure entering the port 31. The force from this pressure is transferred through the balls 22 and 23, and is resisted by the thrust bearing 32. The combi nation of this thrust bearing and the balls 22 and 23 produces a very smooth and wear-free operation. Positioning of the handle 16 in various attitudes about its axis of rotation will move the plungers 20 and 21 within the bores 33 and 34 to position the valve plates 35 and 36, respectively. Such movement will place the port connections 37 and 38 alternately in communication with either the pressure source 31, or with the exhaust vent 39. The connections 37 and 38 will normally be associated with the opposite ends of :an air cylinder controlling a particular door.

The opposite side of the device from that shown in FIGURE 4 is basically electrical, and contains one or more of the assemblies shown at the left portion of FIG URE 3. A conventional switch 40 is actuated by a plunger 41 having a ball 42 installed in its upper end for engagement with the contours of the cam 25. It is preferable that the balls 22, 23, and 42 be fully rotatable in hemispherical recesses in the ends of the plungers to minimize resistance to movement of the cam 25. A spring 43 biases the plunger 41 upwardly against the cam, and downward movement of the plunger will actuate the switch 40 to control a solenoid valve adjacent a door-positioning mechanism (not shown).

It is obvious that servicing and adjustment of the mechanism shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 will best be performed by a separation of the devic just below the plane of the cam 25. This is accomplished "by separating the housing into the upper and lower body portions 12 and 11, and a lower cover 44 is preferably also separable. The lower body member 11 is secured to the horizontal portion 15 of the mounting bracket 13 by the screws 45 47 entering the bracket portion 15 from above. The upper body portion 12 is cut away as shown at 48 and 49 to provide clearance and access for the screws 45 and 46. The opposite side of the mechanism containing the components similar to that indicated at the left portion of FIGURE 3 is secured to the horizontal portion 15 by the screws 50- 52, and the body portion 12 is similarly out out at 53 and 54 for clearance and access to the screws 50 and 51. The upper body portion 12 is secured to the horizontal portion 15 of the mounting bracket by the screws 5558, and this arrangement establishes that either the upper or lower body members can be dismounted without disturbing the opposite body member, and all of the fastenings are ac cessible from above. The conventional mounting of the controller as shown in FIGURE 1 makes this arrangemen very advantageous. If it is merely necessary to service the valve plates 35 and 36, the cover 44 may be removed without disturbing either the upper or lower body members. The alternative lower cover 55 shown in FIGURE 8 is adapted to position the exhaust port 56 at the underside of the unit, rather than in the position shown at 39 in FIGURE 4. The lateral passage 57 is provided for establishing communication with the vertical pass-age 58, which can engage a similarly aligned vertical passage in the wall of the lower body member 11. This is not shown, but is conventional in the design of complex valve structures. The passage 57 would normally be plugged at its outer extremity so that the resulting passage places the opening 58 in communication with the port 56 exclusively.

The particular embodiments of the present invention which have been illustrated and discussed herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be considered as a limitation upon the scope of the appended claims. In these claims, it is my intent to claim the entire invention disclosed herein, except as I am limited by the prior art.

I claim:

1. In combination with a control device including a cam having a journal portion mounted for rotation on a selected axis, said cam having cam contours on a face perpendicular to said axis, said control device also having a plurality of actuator plungers normally engaging said cam contours whereby rotation of said cam induces linear movement of said actuator plungers for control purposes, a body structure for said device comprising:

a lower body member having bores for receiving said actuator plungers and means controlled by said plungers, said lower body member having a mounting face at the normally upper portion thereof;

an upper body member having a bearing receiving said cam journal, and having a mounting face at the normally lower portion thereof;

a mounting bracket having a normally horizontal portion provided with a central opening surrounding the said bores, said bracket portion being interposed between said first and second body members;

fastening means securing said lower body member to said bracket portion; and

fastening means securing said upper body member to said bracket portion, said fastening means all being accessible for installation and removal from the side of said bracket portion occupied by said upper body member, said upper body member being adapted to provide clearance and access to the said fastening means securing said lower body member.

2. In combination with a control device including a cam having a journal portion mounted for rotation on a selected axis, said cam having cam contours on a face perpendicular to said axis, said control device also having a plurality of actuator plungers normally engaging said cam contours whereby rotation of said cam induces linear movement of said actuator plungers for control purposes, a body structure for said device comprising:

a first body member, said first body member having bores for receiving said actuator plungers and means controlled by said plungers, said first body member having a mounting face at one extremity thereof;

a second body member, said second body member having a bearing receiving said earn journal, and having a mounting face at one extremity thereof;

a mounting bracket having a portion provided with a central opening surrounding the said bores, said bracket portion being interposed between said first and second body members;

fastening means securing said first body member to said bracket portion; and

fastening means securing said second body member to said bracket portion, said fastening means all being accessible for installation and removal from the side of said bracket portion occupied by said second body member, said second body member being adapted to provide clearance and access to the said fastening means securing said first body member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,211,741 '8/ 1940 Elwell 7456 2,312,300 2/1943 Bearwald 303-1 2,322,079 6/1943 Whitney 3031 2,893,256 '7/1959 Wargo 74l07 3,021,724 2/1962 Seger 74568 BROUGHTON B. DURHAM, Primary Examiner.

W. S. RATLIFF, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A CONTROL DEVICE INCLUDING A CAM HAVING A JOURNAL PORTION MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ON A SELECTED AXIS, SAID CAM HAVING CAM CONTOURS ON A FACE PERPENDICULAR TO SAID AXIS, SAID CONTROL DEVICE ALSO HAVING A PLURALITY OF ACTUATOR PLUNGERS NORMALLY ENGAGING SAID CAM CONTROUR WHEREBY ROTATION OF SAID CAM INDUCES LINEAR MOVEMENT OF SAID ACTUATOR PLUNGERS FOR CONTROL PURPOSES, A BODY STRUCTURE FOR SAID DEVICE COMPRISING: A LOWER BODY MEMBER HAVING BORES FOR RECEIVING SAID ACTUATOR PLUNGERS AND MEANS CONTROLLED BY SAID PLUNGERS, SAID LOWER BODY MEMBER HAVING A MOUNTING FACE AT THE NORMALLY UPPER PORTION THEREOF; AN UPPER BODY MEMBER HAVING A BEARING RECEIVING SAID CAM JOURNAL, AND HAVING A MOUNTING FACE AT THE NORMALLY LOWER PORTION THEREOF; A MOUNTING BRACKET HAVING A NORMALLY HORIZONTAL PORTION PROVIDED WITH A CENTRAL OPENING SURROUNDING THE SAID BORES, SAID BRACKET PORTION BEING INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND BODY MEMBERS; FASTENING MEANS SECURING SAID LOWER BODY MEMBER TO SAID BRACKET PORTION; AND FASTENING MEANS SECURING SAID UPPER BODY MEMBER TO SAID BRACKET PORTION, SAID FASTENING MEANS ALL BEING ACCESSIBLE FOR INSTALLATION AND REMOVAL FROM THE SIDE OF SAID BRACKET PORTION OCCUPIED BY SAID UPPER BODY MEMBER, SAID UPPER BODY MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO PROVIDE CLEARANCE AND ACCESS TO THE SAID FASTENING MEANS SECURING SAID LOWER BODY MEMBER. 